


Reciprocity

by bygoshbygolly



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arthurian Legend, Decapitation, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 15:37:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7690171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bygoshbygolly/pseuds/bygoshbygolly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mysterious stranger rides into King Daichi's court with a challenge- any of his knights may strike one blow at the stranger, and in a year's time, he gets to return the act. Noya takes him up on it.</p>
<p>Written for SASO 16</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reciprocity

**Author's Note:**

> Based off Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

King Daichi’s court was celebrating the solstice when the Rider crashed through the window. Everyone in the hall stared in shock at the man and his horse, each completely blood red in color. The Rider dismounted with a laugh and strode to the main table.

“So this is the famous King Daichi’s court, eh?” he sneered, making terrible faces at everyone. “You don’t look so tough.” A number of the knights tensed, ready to stand and defend their honor, when King Daichi raised a hand to stop them.

“What is your business here?” he asked. He appeared calm, but his men knew that he was just as tense as they were, ready to fight at a moment’s notice should it be required. The Rider shrugged.

“Well, I thought I’d come and fight one of you, but it doesn’t really seem worth it. Why don’t we play a game instead?” Daichi raised an eyebrow in question. “One of you takes this axe,” and the Rider grabbed the battle ax strapped to his back, swinging it forward in one easy motion, “and gets one strike to hit me; anywhere you want. Then, a year from now, I get to do the same thing.” He spread his arms. “Who’s up for it?” There was silence. “What about you, big guy?” the Rider said, shoving the ax at Asahi, who blanched. Daichi was just about to accept the offer when a voice rang out.

“I’ll do it!” It was Nishinoya, Daichi’s most skilled knight. He leaped over the table to stand in front of the Rider. They grinned at each other in challenge.

“Here,” the Rider passed over his ax and dropped to one knee. Nishinoya hefted the ax thoughtfully and, quick as anything, struck the Rider’s head from his shoulders in a single blow.

The Rider’s body started clapping.

“That was amazing!” the head laughed from its position on the floor. Its body turned and picked it up to hold the head under one arm. “What’s your name?”

“Nishinoya Yuu,” said the knight, dumbfounded. “Noya.”

“Noya! Meet me in a year’s time at the Red Shrine,” said the Rider. His body swung up on to the horse one-handed, and they were gone before anyone could speak.

As his comrades cheered him and slapped his back, Noya could only stand there and wonder what would happen when he showed up at the Red Shrine.

\----

The months flew by, and the Rider was never far from Noya’s mind. There was never any question of ignoring his half of the bargain; his honor would not allow it. He asked every traveler he met whether they had heard of the Red Shrine and where it was located, and after nine months he had a rough idea of where to go.

On his journey he had several minor adventures of no particular importance. Noya had, in his service to Daichi, become accustomed to grand adventures. Besides, all his deeds paled before his anticipation at meeting the Rider once more.

With under a week before the deadline, Noya came to a great house by a forest. Hoping that the owner would be able to give him directions, he went to the front door and knocked. After a minute, the door swung open to reveal a tall, handsome man with a shaved head.

“Yes?”

“Good afternoon,” Noya greeted, striving for formality. “I am Nishinoya Yuu, of King Daichi’s court. I am seeking the Red Shrine. Do you know where I could find it?”

“Oh,” said the man. “It’s really close. Only several miles down the road.”

“Thank you,” Noya bowed, and turned to leave.

“What is your business there, if I can ask?” Noya turned back.

“I have an appointment,” he said, and related the whole tale to the man, complete with dramatic gestures and sound effects that had the other laughing.

“So you have several days yet,” the man said. “Why don’t you stay here until then?” Just then, a lady appeared behind him.

“Ryuu, are you inviting guests into our house without asking me?” she called, and ducked under his arm to see Noya. The man—Ryuu—sputtered and she laughed fondly, looking up at him. “I’m just kidding.” She turned to Noya. “I am Tanaka Saeko, lady of the house.” Noya kissed the hand she offered him.

“Tanaka Ryuunosuke,” the man offered. “Saeko, this is Nishinoya Yuu, all the way from King Daichi’s court. He has an appointment at the Red Shrine in several days, so I said he could stay here with us until then.”

“Well then,” Saeko replied. Her eyes were sharp as she looked at Noya. “I suppose I can accommodate that. Well met, Nishinoya.”

“Please,” he said, smiling at Saeko in the way he had been told was charming, “call me Noya. And I thank you and your husband for letting me stay.”

There was a moment of silence as both his hosts looked surprised. Then Saeko burst into loud laughter while Ryuu made a series of choking sounds. Noya stood, uncertain.

“Oh, Yuu,” Saeko finally said, ignoring his offered nickname and instead referring to him familiarly by his given name. “You are welcome to stay with us, but let’s get one thing clear—Ryuu and I are not married.”

“We’re siblings,” Ryuu said, looking vaguely ill. Noya wondered if he had ever been so uncomfortable. Now that he looked closely, it was obvious that the two were related—they shared the same sharp, handsome bone structure and intriguing eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he offered. Ryuu clapped him on the shoulder.

“Don’t mind,” he said, seeming to have recovered from his initial disgust at the idea of marriage to his sister. “You couldn’t have known. But let’s never mention it again. And let’s have a drink.” Noya followed him eagerly into a comfortable sitting room. Ryuu poured the three of them drinks, and asked Noya about his travels.

\----

It was amazing, Noya reflected, how quickly friendships could form. Only several hours after meeting the Tanakas, he felt as if he had known them his whole life. He dropped any air of formality and traded increasingly rude jokes with Ryuu, until Saeko put them both to shame with her single contribution. She was lovely, and witty, but it was Ryuu who Noya found himself drawn to that evening. He was interested in the man’s opinion on matters, and that interest appeared to be returned. It was a feeling of camaraderie that Noya had felt with the other knights at times, but never so quickly.

Saeko left them, yawning and muttering about bed. Ryuu and Noya stayed up a bit longer before the exhaustion of the day caught up with Noya.

“Guess I should show you to your room,” Ryuu said, offering Noya a hand up. Noya followed him up the stairs. Inside the room Ryuu showed him was Noya’s pack, which he had completely forgotten about. Noya was about to enter when Ryuu stopped him. “Hey, do you want to make a deal?” His eyes shone.

“What kind of deal?” Noya asked, mindful of the fact that a deal was what had got him into this situation in the first place.

“Just something fun,” Ryuu answered. “I’m going hunting tomorrow. Anything I get while I’m out, I’ll give to you; anything you get here, you give to me.” Noya thought it over quickly. It seemed easy enough, and as this was Ryuu’s house, anything he got would probably belong to Ryuu anyway.

“Deal,” he said. They smiled at each other.

“All right! Good night then,” said Ryuu, turning and walking down the hall.

“Night,” Noya echoed.

\----

Noya had always been an early riser, but even so, Ryuu had already left by the time he awoke. After making his way downstairs, Noya realized he had no idea where anything was. Remembering his horse, Noya exited the house and looked for the stables. He found them, and his horse, off to the side, and after apologizing to Thunder for forgetting him the previous day, Noya spotted a rack of wooden training weapons off to the side.

He figured he might as well exercise while the air was still cool, and performed his usual stretches and solo training routine. As he wound down, he became aware of Saeko’s presence by the stables.

“Very nice,” she called over. He ducked his head. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

Noya was suddenly aware of how hungry he was.

“No,” he admitted. Saeko _tsk_ ed and rolled her eyes.

“Just like Ryuu to leave without giving his guest a tour. Follow me, then.”

Breakfast was hearty and warm, and Noya felt much better after it. When they finished, Saeko took him on a tour of the grounds, pointing out not only useful rooms and paths, but the places she and Ryuu had played as children. She was an engaging hostess, and Noya felt his eyes drift to the side to watch her on several occasions. He kept being surprised at the fact that she was shorter than him—she seemed so full of life he felt she must be taller.

They wound up on a bench under a large oak, resting in peaceful silence.

“I’m glad you came,” Saeko said, turning to look at Noya.

“Me too,” he replied.

She kissed him. She kissed him and he kissed her back, because she was warm and beautiful and he wanted to. It was good, but after a few moments he found himself pulling away.

“What?” she asked. He scratched his head.

“I’m sorry,” he replied. “It just seems weird, kissing my hostess.” She laughed a little and pinched his cheek.

“You’re cute, Yuu.” She rose from the bench and led him back to the house. Neither of them mentioned the kiss.

\----

Ryuu came back from hunting a few hours before dinner with a brace of rabbits dangling from his belt. He hugged his sister and Noya hello before presenting Noya with the rabbits.

“Here you go,” he grinned. “Today’s bounty is yours! I’ll claim mine later.” And he wandered off to bathe before Noya could come up with a reply.

That evening was much like the previous one, except Noya found he could not meet Saeko’s eye. Instead, he tried to focus his attention on Ryuu. It wasn’t as hard as he would have thought; Ryuu was warm and funny and had a wide variety of horrendous facial expressions.

As with the previous night, Saeko left them earlier, and Noya and Ryuu talked until neither of them could finish a sentence without yawning.

“Well, I guess it’s that time,” Ryuu said. Noya followed him up the stairs to his room. Ryuu leaned against the doorway. “So, what did you get today?”

“Saeko gave me a tour of the grounds,” Noya said. Ryuu made a face.

“I think we can skip that. I already know my way around. Anything else?” Noya was about to shake his head when he remembered.

Before he could think about it any further, he raised himself up onto his toes and pulled Ryuu’s head down to kiss him. He tried to recreate his kiss with Saeko as faithfully as possible, down to his pulling away just as things were getting interesting.

“Wow.” Ryuu looked dazed. He smiled; a silly thing compared to his usual smiles. “So. Same deal tomorrow?”

“Uh,” replied Noya, eloquently. He looked up at Ryuu. He felt shaky and warm. “Yeah, all right.”

“Great!” Ryuu turned and waved as he made his way to bed.

“Great,” Noya echoed.

\----

The next day, when Saeko leaned in to kiss Noya again, he didn’t pull away. If asked, he wouldn’t be able to say whether he was kissing her to put Ryuu out of his mind or because he knew that later tonight he would be kissing Ryuu the same way. He focused on Saeko’s softness, how she tilted her head up for him. It was good, it really was. But it didn’t leave him breathless.

After several minutes, Saeko pulled away.

“I wonder what Ryuu will bring home today?” she asked lightly. Noya nearly choked. Did she know about the deal? No, she couldn’t. Still, he shouldn’t give in to temptation again. It was only mixing him up.

\----

This time, Ryuu came home with a wild boar slung over his shoulders. He dropped it at Noya’s feet.

“For you!” he exclaimed. “You would not believe the trouble I had bringing her down.” And he launched into the story, in which he was nearly gored on several occasions, and survived only by his wits and strength and steel. As he finished he looked around. “Where’s Saeko?”

“I don’t know,” Noya replied quickly. Ryuu shrugged.

“She’ll turn up for dinner. Gives us more time to spend together, right?” He smoothed a hand over his head and smiled. Noya felt his face heat up.

“Yep.”

–---

Unlike the previous two evenings, Noya found he couldn't relax. He felt twitchy and nervous and he couldn't stop staring at Ryuu's handsome face. It didn't take long for Ryuu to notice that Noya wasn't paying much attention.

“Hey, you ok?” he asked. Noya jumped.

“Oh, yeah. I think...I think I'm just tired,” he said. Ryuu looked surprised.

“Already? You should have said something.”

Ryuu halted outside Noya's door.

“So,” he coughed. “Did you get anything today?”

Noya thought for a moment about lying and saying no. It would be so easy; there was no way for Ryuu to know if he was telling the truth. But then Ryuu bit his lip and Noya pulled him down and kissed him again.

He felt still for the first time that evening. Ryuu's hands were warm on his waist and the kissing was really, really good. Unlike the previous night, Noya didn't keep track of every detail to make sure he gave Ryuu exactly what was given to him. He just leaned into Ryuu and let himself feel.

Ryuu slid his hands down and Noya remembered himself. He pulled back.

“That's, uh, that's what I got,” he said, and dashed into his room, shutting the door behind him.

–---

Noya spent the next morning waiting for Saeko. She grinned when she spotted him and he knew that she knew, both about the arrangement he and Ryuu had and about the feelings he had started to develop for her brother. It was both unsettling and freeing.

She kissed him firmly, but allowed him to lead. Noya knew that he wouldn't let things go too far-- it wouldn't be fair to anyone involved-- but he was going to enjoy this as much as he could. Saeko was amazing, and technically a better kisser than Ryuu, and in any other situation she would be the ideal. In the back of his mind though he kept wondering _Would Ryuu like it if I do this? What about this? What would he do if I did-?_

Finally, Saeko pulled back.

“Nice job, Yuu,” she said. Her face turned serious. “Tomorrow you face the Rider at the Red Shrine. Take this when you go.” She pulled a ring off her finger and gave it to him. Noya looked at it.

“No, thank you-”

“Take it!” she thrust the ring at him. “It'll protect you.” Noya drew himself up.

“I don't need protection,” he said.

“Oh, so you can survive decapitation?” Saeko huffed. Noya hesitated. “Please, Yuu. I don't want you to die.”

Noya didn't want to die, either. He took the ring.

–---

Tanaka brought home a deer that day, all smiles. He spent much of the evening shooting Noya glances and rubbing his hand over his head. Saeko was present for the first part of the evening, and she kept the conversation going in between eye-rolls and concerned glances at the two men.

“Right,” she said loudly, standing up. “I bid you both good night.”

Noya could have sworn she winked at him as she left the room.

“So,” Ryuu said, looking around the room. “Are you tired, or...?” Noya rolled his eyes.

“Get over here, Ryuu, and let me give you today's offering.” Ryuu lit up and quickly crossed the room to sit next to Noya.

They kissed deeply and long. Noya allowed himself to become well acquainted with Ryuu's muscled chest and back, and reveled in the feeling of Ryuu's hands on his thighs. He wanted to go further, but-

“That's it for today,” he murmured, pulling back. Ryuu groaned and tipped his forehead against Noya's.

“That's it?” he asked. “Nothing else?”

Noya thought about the ring Saeko had given him. His throat tightened.

“No. Nothing else.”

–---

The next day, Noya rode out to the Red Shrine to meet the Rider. He had hoped he would get the chance to see Ryuu again, possibly for the last time, but Saeko told him that Ryuu had gone out hunting once more.

“You still have that ring?” she whispered. “Then we'll see you when you come back.”

Noya hoped she was right.

–---

The Rider was waiting for him when he arrived, blood red and imposing. Though Noya was one of the bravest of Daichi's knights, he nevertheless felt a chill as he saw the Rider standing in the entranceway, ax in hand.

“Rider,” Noya called, dismounting.

“Noya,” the Rider responded. “It's my turn now.” He grinned, the same grin he wore before Noya removed his head, and strode forward.

Noya took a deep breath and knelt at the Rider's feet.

“It's your turn now.” He hoped Saeko's ring would protect him as promised. The Rider swung the ax up high and brought it down. Noya flinched, but the blade never touched him. He heard a chuckle.

“Two for flinching,” the Rider said.

Noya grit his teeth and remained still. The second strike didn't hit him either. The third-

The third strike hit his neck and bounced off. It would bruise something awful, but he was alive. He sighed, and the Rider laughed. It sounded familiar, and Noya raised his head.

“ _Ryuu?_ ” He couldn't believe it.

“Hi, Noya,” he said. He was standing where the Rider had been, holding the same ax.

“Ryuu, what on-” Ryuu held up a hand.

“It's complicated,” he said. “There was an enchantment, some rules...I'll tell you everything, I promise. Just tell me- how did you survive?”

“Saeko gave me this ring yesterday,” Noya said, holding it up. “She said I would need it.”

“Yesterday? And you didn't give it to me?” Ryuu raised an eyebrow. Noya felt ashamed. Not that he had survived, but that he had lied. Daichi was very keen on his knights being honest, and he felt as if he had betrayed his king in some way.

“Are you mad?” Ryuu shook his head.

“I'd be madder if you'd given it to me and I ended up killing you,” he said, and stepped forward to wrap Noya in a hug, lifting his feet off the ground. He leaned in to kiss him, but Noya turned his head.

“No kissing until you explain everything,” he said. Ryuu bumped their foreheads together.

“It's a deal.”


End file.
